Knowledge Of Epilepsy Research Articles

An evaluation of the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of parents regarding epilepsy

Background and aimsKnowledge about epilepsy and attitudes toward people with epilepsy can influence measures taken to manage epilepsy and seizures. The support and understanding of parents of children with epilepsy are invaluable in helping develop ordinary living skills. To determine the educational needs of parents of children with epilepsy, their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors should be evaluated. Therefore, we interviewed parents who had a child with epilepsy who was treated at the pediatric neurology clinic of a university hospital. We aimed to evaluate parents' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward children with epilepsy to determine their educational needs. MethodsThis descriptive study included 221 parents of children with epilepsy who applied to Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Medical Faculty Hospital. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Pearson and exact chi-square tests were used for analysis. ResultsIn the present study, 221 parents were interviewed. A total of 66.5% of the participants were at the primary education level. The rate of participants who preferred healthcare professionals as a source of information about epilepsy was 78.9%. Forty-eight percent of the parents did not see consanguineous marriage as a reason. While some parents stated that epilepsy was supernatural, others had no idea whether it was contagious or not, and 46.2% of the participants stated that epilepsy is not a hereditary disease. The rate of those who tried nonphysician treatment was 16.3%. The rate of participants who thought that drinking alcohol would not trigger seizures was 86.9%. It was determined that 30.8% of the participants pulled the patient's tongue out during seizures. 16.7% of participants thought that patients with epilepsy were disabled. 50.7% of the participants stated that their children with epilepsy could do any profession. ConclusionsOur study documented parents' lack of knowledge about epilepsy. Many parents have significant misunderstandings, negative attitudes, and parenting practices, and their knowledge and understanding of epilepsy needs to be improved.

Epilepsy awareness among school-aged students in Poland

ObjectiveEpilepsy can be a well-controlled condition with only a slight impact on patients’ life. Lack of knowledge within society contributes to children with epilepsy experiencing discrimination and hostility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness of epilepsy and general views on people struggling with this disease among school-aged children. MethodsThe study was conducted on a random sample of Polish school students, in total 472 participants. Participants’ knowledge was assessed by a self-completed survey. ResultsStudents are unaware of the wide range of symptoms occurring during seizures. More than half claimed that people experiencing epilepsy should not perform sports activities. Alarmingly, 30% of participants believe that those patients should not leave the house and they should be excluded from many jobs. Almost all participants would help a person experiencing seizures and remember proper head protection; shockingly, 20% of children would try to put something in the person's mouth. Older students seem to be better educated on epilepsy, but the percentage of incorrect personal beliefs and myths is similar for each age group. SignificanceSchool-aged students have insufficient knowledge of epilepsy. More emphasis should be put on first aid during seizures and on the spectrum of epilepsy symptoms. Educating society is important for life quality of people experiencing epilepsy.

A Survey of Healthcare Providers About Reproductive Healthcare for Adolescent Women With Epilepsy.

To evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) for adolescent and young adult (AYA) women with epilepsy among general pediatricians, adolescent medicine specialists, and pediatric gynecologists. Survey comprising previously validated and novel items that underwent content validity testing and was distributed through specialty listservs. Categorical variables analyzed with χ2 or Fisher exact tests, and continuous variables with Kruskal-Wallis tests. Online. Physicians and Advanced practice providers. Online survey. Questions testing SRH knowledge, assessing confidence in SRH counseling practices and frequency of intended SRH counseling, and identifying barriers and facilitators to SRH provision for AYA women with epilepsy. Of 329 participants, 57% were general pediatricians, 27% were adolescent medicine specialists, and 16% were pediatric gynecologists. On 15 items assessing knowledge, general pediatricians scored significantly lower than respondents in the other specialties (P < .01). Among 11 items about confidence in SRH skills, general pediatricians were significantly less confident than respondents in the other specialties (P < .01). General pediatricians reported that they would perform annual counseling less often on 7 SRH counseling topics compared with respondents in the other specialties (P < .01). In all, 54% of the respondents reported that barriers to SRH provision include limited time during visits and lack of epilepsy knowledge. Respondents identified facilitators including guidelines/algorithms for managing SRH (83%), provider education (61%), and electronic health record alerts (60%). Responses suggest suboptimal knowledge, confidence, and care provision regarding SRH for AYA women with epilepsy, particularly among general pediatricians. Identified barriers and facilitators may serve as targets for interventions to improve SRH provision.

What is the community’s knowledge and understanding regarding epilepsy? Epilepsy knowledge and its determinants among residents of Debub Bench District, Bench Sheko Zone, Southwest Ethiopia, 2019: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveEpilepsy is a neurological condition marked by recurring seizures. People with epilepsy, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries, are stigmatised due to a lack of understanding and a negative attitude...

Teachers and Epilepsy in Saudi Arabia: Gaps in Knowledge and Potential Roles.

In young children, epilepsy, a disorder marked by recurring seizures, is frequent. Schoolteachers play an important role in the development of young children and hence have a big impact on their psychosocial development. This study was carried out to examine the available data from Saudi Arabia in order to better understand the knowledge gap among Saudi instructors. Although schoolteachers’ knowledge in Saudi Arabia has improved over time, such that they now have significant knowledge that can affect student performance, social skill development, future endeavors, and life quality, a significant percentage still believes that epilepsy is linked to psychiatric illness. Few teachers have obtained first-aid training in the area of seizure treatment. It is consequently vital to improve instructors’ knowledge of seizure first aid. Teachers’ understanding and attitudes concerning epilepsy could be improved by health education. Schoolteachers should get focused and guided health education to improve their knowledge of epilepsy and change their attitudes.

Knowledge of and attitudes toward epilepsy and first aid for seizures in Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia

Background: Epilepsy is one of the common disorders in Saudi Arabia, and the stigma associated with it is influenced by poor awareness regarding the disease in the general community. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the community-level general knowledge of epilepsy and first aid for seizures in relation to sociodemographic characteristics and assess the attitude toward epileptic patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire survey among adults in Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia, in 2021. Results: Among the 391 participants, 66.8% were 18-30 years old, and 70.8% were females. Among these, 23.5% had good general knowledge about epilepsy, while 29.7% had good knowledge about first aid for seizures. An educational level of diploma/higher, working or studying in the medical field, and lack of seizure experience were significantly associated with good general knowledge about epilepsy and first aid for seizures. Female sex was associated with good knowledge of seizure first aid. However, 41.2% of the participants were not aware of the safety aspects of the COVID-19 vaccine for epileptic patients. Conclusion: Overall knowledge of epilepsy and first aid for seizures was suboptimal among most participants. Many participants did not know much about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for patients with epilepsy. The knowledge level on epilepsy and its first aid differed significantly across different types of occupation, education levels, and sex.

A cross-sectional study to explore the awareness and knowledge of epilepsy among health colleges’ students in relation to their demographic differences

A cross-sectional study to explore the awareness and knowledge of epilepsy among health colleges’ students in relation to their demographic differences

Is insufficient knowledge of epilepsy among Physiotherapists the reason for less exercise prescription for epileptic patients?

Participating in physical activity and exercise has significant benefits, including treating, preventing, and reducing risk factors for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and osteoarthritis. Physical activity can also positively play a role in palliative care among individuals with terminal diseases

Knowledge and attitude toward epilepsy among the final and semi-final years medical students at University of Bahri, Sudan.

ObjectiveTo assess the knowledge and attitude toward epilepsy among the final and semi‐final years medical students at University of Bahri.MethodsAn observational cross‐sectional study was carried out at College of Medicine, University of Bahri. Self‐administered questionnaires were applied to 228 medical students in the final and semi‐final years.ResultsSixty‐three percent of students showed a high level of knowledge. Despite that 10.1% of the students do not know that atonic seizure is a type of epilepsy, 62.7% attributed the causes of epilepsy to psychological factors only, and 9.6% considered epilepsy is an untreatable disease. The majority of students are not aware that screaming is a manifestation of certain types of epilepsy. More than half of the students considered inserting something into the patient's mouth during the seizure will prevent tongue biting. Interestingly, a total of 8.3% of students thought that it is a demonic attack, whereas 34.6% of students thought the Holy Quran as an appropriate treatment for epilepsy (P = .026). Up to 77% of the students showed a positive attitude toward patients with epilepsy. However, 42.1% of students agreed that there should be some restrictions in sport and leisure activities for people who suffer from epilepsy, and 13.6% of students admitted they will not get married to someone with epilepsy.SignificanceOur study showed an overall relatively high level of knowledge toward epilepsy among medical students with a potentially positive attitude toward patients with the disease. However, there are still misconceptions of epilepsy in different aspects. This study showed some important facts for policymakers and key opinion leaders in curriculum preparation and training programs for medical schools which should be designed to increase knowledge and understanding of epilepsy among the medical students, not just the scientific knowledge but also discuss the social impact of epilepsy on a patient's life.

Evaluation of nursing students’ health fatalism, knowledge, and attitudes toward patients with epilepsy

AimThis study was conducted to determine the relationship between nursing students’ health fatalism, epilepsy knowledge, attitudes, and some sociodemographic variables. MethodsThe descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 423 nursing department students who were studying at a state university and who agreed to participate in the study in the Elazığ province in eastern Turkey during the 2020–2021 academic year. The data were collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Health Fatalism Scale (HFS), the Epilepsy Knowledge Scale (EKS), and the Epilepsy Attitude Scale (EAS). ResultsThe nursing students had total mean scores of 46.95 ± 12.98, 6.94 ± 3.81, and 50.19 ± 8.47 for the HFS, EKS, and EAS, respectively. A positive and significant correlation was found between the EKS and EAS scores. First-year students had lower HFS scores than students in their second and fourth years. Third- and fourth-year students, those living in rural areas, and those who had patients with epilepsy in their families or immediate environments had higher EKS scores. Female students and those who had patients with epilepsy in their families or immediate environments had higher EKS and EAS scores. A significant positive correlation was found between age and the EKS score, whereas a significant negative correlation was found between age and the EAS score. ConclusionWhile nursing students generally had low levels of epilepsy knowledge, they had positive attitudes toward epilepsy and moderate levels of health fatalism. The study found that students’ positive attitudes toward epilepsy increased as their levels of knowledge about the disorder increased. Age, gender, educational status, place of residence, the presence of a chronic disease, and knowing someone with epilepsy all affected HFS, EKS, and EAS scores.

Perceptions about mental healthcare for people with epilepsy in Africa

BackgroundMental illness is commonly comorbid with epilepsy. In sub-Saharan Africa there exists limited access to neurological and psychiatric services predisposing to a “treatment gap” in epilepsy and mental healthcare. AimsTo understand healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and management practices toward epilepsy and comorbid mental illness in sub-Saharan Africa. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey following the STROBE guidance was conducted among healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa. Eleven questions looking to ascertain clinician demographics, knowledge of epilepsy, and comorbid mental illness as well as management practices were developed. FindingsOf 203 responses most (92%) respondents recognized a bi-directional relationship between mental health and epilepsy. However, mental illness screening in people newly diagnosed with epilepsy was infrequently performed (14%). Only 1 in 7 (16%) respondents had high confidence in their clinical competence at managing psychiatric comorbidities. Most would value further training (74%) and improvements to be made in current management practices within their local healthcare settings (94%). ConclusionsThis pilot study highlights the need to improve the awareness of management of mental disorders in populations with epilepsy within sub-Saharan Africa in health providers there.

Evaluation of knowledge levels and attitudes of health management department students about epilepsy disease; a cross-sectional study

AimWe aimed to evaluate the knowledge levels and attitudes of the students of the Department of Health Management about epilepsy. MethodThis descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with the voluntary participation of 238 health management department students in their first and third years of study who were registered at the Faculty of Health Sciences summer school exam. We collected the data through a research questionnaire form and the Epilepsy Knowledge and Attitude Scales. ResultsGirls accounted for 66.6% (n = 157) all participants, 53.4% of them were 1st year (n = 127), whereas 46.6% (n = 111) were third-year students. Their mean age was 19.97 ± 1.46 years. Among these participants, 52.9% grew in the province (n = 126), 20.6% were smoking, 5% had epilepsy, and 36.6% had relatives with epilepsy. The mean epilepsy knowledge scale score was 5.64 ± 4.41 and the mean epilepsy attitude scale score was 52.55 ± 9.98. The third-year students' epilepsy knowledge score was significantly higher than their first-year counter parts (p < 0.001). We found no statistically significant difference between the first and third-year participants in attitude scores (p = 0.907). A moderate positive correlation was found between the students' knowledge level scores about epilepsy and their total attitude scores (r = 0.405, p < 0.001). The female students had a more positive attitude toward epilepsy and higher scores on the epilepsy knowledge scale than their male counterparts (p = 0.001, p = 0.005, respectively). Students who knew someone with epilepsy had higher epilepsy knowledge and attitude scale scores than those who did not (p = 0.001, p = 0.005 respectively). ConclusionThe epilepsy knowledge levels and attitude scale scores of health management students were found to be low. Third-year students were found to have higher knowledge levels than first-year students but there was no statistically significant difference between their attitude scores. More education opportunities should be provided for students of the Department of Health Management about this common chronic disease.

Evaluating the knowledge of and attitudes toward epilepsy among Turkish undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study

AimThis study was conducted to examine the knowledge of and attitudes toward epilepsy among nursing students. MethodThis descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 369 nursing students. Data were collected through an anonymous online questionnaire prepared using the Introductory Information Form, Epilepsy Knowledge Scale (EKS), and Epilepsy Attitude Scale (EAS). Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, Student’s t test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation test were used in the data analysis. A p value of 0.05 was considered the threshold for statistical significance. FindingsThe sample of the study consisted of nursing students, and more than half of the students (63.4%) were females. 32.2% of the students were third-year students, and the mean age was 21.36 ± 2.12 years. The mean scores obtained on the EKS and the EAS were 10.03 ± 33.21 and 56.39 ± 5.40, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between the knowledge and attitude scores of the students regarding epilepsy (p < 0.05), and students’ attitude scores toward epilepsy increased with increased knowledge of the subject matter. Overall, female students had better knowledge levels and a more positive attitude toward epilepsy than male students (p < 0.05). Further, the students who had witnessed an epileptic seizure, knew someone with epilepsy, or provided care for patients with epilepsy, had higher scores on the EKS, and displayed better knowledge toward epilepsy (p < 0.05). ConclusionNursing students were found to have moderate knowledge of and a positive attitude toward epilepsy. The positive attitude toward epilepsy increased with the increasing knowledge of epilepsy.

Translating Phenomenology of Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures Into Nosology: Insights From Patients' and Caregivers' Profiles.

Patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) can be semiologically dichotomized into those with hyperkinetic and those with paucikinetic events. The objective of this study was to compare characteristics of patients with diverse phenomenology and their caregivers to evaluate for differences that could inform about disease nosology. Patients and caregivers monitored at the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit completed surveys about sociodemographic and disease characteristics, treatment and health care utilization, physical and psychosocial impact, and epilepsy knowledge. Patients were classified into hyperkinetic versus paucikinetic based on their recorded events. Comparison of the 2 populations was performed using Student t test for continuous variables and Fischer exact test for categorical variables. Forty-three patients with Epilepsy Monitoring Unit confirmed PNES and 28 caregivers were enrolled. Patients with hyperkinetic events were more commonly non-White patients and necessitated greater caregiving time. Otherwise, no statistically significant differences were seen between the 2 semiologically diverse groups of patients and caregivers in their sociodemographic (age, sex, employment, income, marital, and education) and disease (age of onset, duration, seizures frequency) characteristics, treatment (number of antiseizure medications before diagnosis, side effects) and health care utilization (emergency room visits, hospitalizations, clinic visits), physical (injuries) and psychosocial (depression, anxiety, quality of life, stigma, burden) characteristics, nor in their knowledge about seizures. Hyperkinetic events were more frequently encountered in non-White patients and required more caregiving time. Further research is required to elucidate if phenomenological dichotomy of PNES can inform about their nosological basis, and if it can guide treatment and define prognosis.

Knowledge of women issues and epilepsy among doctors in Sudan

Knowledge of women issues and epilepsy among doctors in Sudan

PSYCHO EDUCATION INTERVENTION IN SEIZURE

Epilepsy is a common neurological disease, which affects people of all ages. Patients often have deficits regarding their knowledge of epilepsy. Many of them have recurrent seizures, psychosocial, and emotional problems and report restrictions in daily living as a result of their epilepsy. Meanwhile, a variety of psycho educational programs have been developed with the intention to improve knowledge, coping with epilepsy, quality of life, compliance, and health status. These educational programs vary considerably in regard to content, didactic approach, and objectives. Overall, from the small number of evaluated programs it is evident that educational programs can improve epilepsy-related knowledge, improve the management of seizures, and reduce misinformation and misconceptions about epilepsy. They can support adults, adolescents, and children with epilepsy and their families and enable them to cope with the disease they can sometimes also reduce seizure frequency and improve compliance with antiepileptic drugs. The effects on emotional disorders (e.g. depression) and quality of life are less obvious.

Knowledge about Epilepsy among Patients under Community Care

Introduction. Insufficient knowledge and misconception about epilepsy causes the development of negative attitudes towards epilepsy patients, increases stigmatization and psychosocial problems, and consequently affects their quality of life.Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the state of knowledge of primary care patients on epilepsy.Material and Methods. The study included a group of 149 patients from three primary health care facilities in the city of Bydgoszcz. The study population consisted of 99 women (66%) and 50 men (34%). Adults predominated, the mean age of the respondents was 43.91 years (SD = 13.03). The research used the method of diagnostic survey, the research tool was the original questionnaire. The research was carried out in a correlation model. The non-parametric Spearman rank test was used to determine the significance of the relationship between demographic variables and knowledge about epilepsy. The significance level p &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results. The bast majority of respondents (97%) have heard about epilepsy in their lives and believe that they have knowledge about this disease (90%) and know the main cause (76%). Moreover, most of the respondents (96%, 97%) know that during an attack, the patient should be safely positioned and their head protected against injuries. Unfortunately, only 47% of the respondents were ready to help the sick.Conclusions. Most of the respondents have heard about epilepsy in their lifetime and believe they have knowledge of epilepsy. More than half of the respondents witnessed an epileptic seizure. Readiness to provide first aid during an epileptic seizure is declared by nearly half of the respondents. The vast majority of respondents accept people with epilepsy in the work environment as well as in the social environment. There is a relationship between gender, age and education, and some aspects of knowledge about epilepsy and the presented opinion about the disease. (JNNN 2021;10(3):105–111)

Does an additional virtual interactive session increase the impact of digital educational material given to epilepsy patients? A randomized controlled trial

PurposeTo study if an additional virtual interactive epilepsy education session improves post-test epilepsy knowledge scores more than providing digital educational material alone in persons with epilepsy (PWE) and caregivers. MethodsIn a single centre, open labelled, randomised controlled trial, PWE and caregivers were randomised to receive digital epilepsy educational material alone or an additional virtual interactive epilepsy session along with the digital educational material. Pre-test knowledge scores were compared with post-test knowledge scores. A difference between the post-test scores in the two arms was the primary outcome. This was assessed one week after the epilepsy education had been received. Secondary outcomes were the difference between the two arms in quality of life and breakthrough seizure frequencies at the end of one month. ResultsA total of 130 participants (PWE+caregivers) were randomised of which 66 were in the control arm and 64 in the intervention arm. Baseline demographic and epilepsy characteristics were comparable in both arms except for the higher age of PWE in the intervention arm. Post-test knowledge scores improved significantly from the pre-test knowledge scores in both control and intervention arms (p<0.001). Post-test knowledge scores in the intervention arm were significantly better both for patients (p = 0.003) as well as for caregivers (p = 0.007) compared to controls. There was no difference in the quality of life and frequency of breakthrough seizures between the two arms. ConclusionDigital educational material is effective in improving post-test epilepsy knowledge scores in PWE and caregivers. Knowledge scores can be further improved by an additional virtual interactive session.

Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy among teachers in Tunisia

BackgroundThe importance of school teachers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward epilepsy and its contribution in improving the links between the Education and Health fields, is well recognized and appreciated. In order to clarify the amount of misconceptions about epilepsy among Tunisian teachers, we conducted a web-based survey. The main objectives of our study were, first, to determine the knowledge about and attitudes toward epilepsy, and second, to specify factors associated with a better understanding of this disease. MethodsData were collected using a web-based survey “Google Forms”. ResultsThe study showed a positive correlation between the level of teachers' knowledge of epilepsy and their attitudes toward a person with epilepsy. Despite the knowledge gaps revealed in Tunisian teachers, the overall attitude was at large positive. Familiarity with epilepsy, whether through family or work environment, made a tremendous contribution in redressing misconceptions about epilepsy in our study. ConclusionMore educational interventions and programs are needed to increase teachers' familiarity with epilepsy and, consequently, increase their awareness and knowledge.

Knowledge and Fears of Parents of Children Diagnosed with Epilepsy

PurposeDescribe the knowledge and fears of parents of children diagnosed with epilepsy in the hospital and clinic settings. Design and methodsDescriptive, comparative study design. Knowledge was measured with the 16-item Epilepsy Knowledge Scale and epilepsy-related fears was operationalized by the Epilepsy-related Fears in Parents Questionnaire (EFPQ) addressing short and long-term fears. The sample included 40 parents of children diagnosed with epilepsy who were cared for on a pediatric ortho/neuro hospital unit (N = 27) or pediatric neurology clinic (N = 13). ResultsParents were middle aged adults (mean 39 years), mostly mothers with 80% college education. Their children ranged in ages from less than one to 18 years of age (Mean = 8.5) across a variety of ethnic backgrounds who were most often diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age (<1 year to 3 years). Percentage of correct answers ranged from 31% (5 correct) to 100% (16 correct); mean 12 correct or 75%. Subjects/parents were afraid! They had many fears: Short-term (possible range 8–40) with responses ranging from 9 to 40 (mean 28); Future/long-term (possible range 9–45) ranging from 9 to 45 (mean 32). They were afraid when their child is in the care of others – something might happen, and their child could die during a seizure. There was no statistically significant difference in responses between hospital or clinic parents. DiscussionParents who participated in this study were knowledgeable but fearful with immediate and long term concerns. Practice implicationsNurses need to provide verbal and written education materials. Address triggers. Talk to parents about their fears related to epilepsy. Identify parental support. Validate parents' skills in knowing what to do when their child has a seizure.